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'Terrific idea' Lemieux will help Penguins more than just on the ice
Updated: Thursday December 28, 2000 9:56 AM
In one of the biggest stories of the 2000 NHL season, Mario Lemieux is trading in his Pittsburgh owner's suit to suit up for the Penguins. From Montreal, Sports Illustrated's NHL writer Michael Farber has some insight on Lemieux's return to the game and he was interviewed by CNNSI.com's Mark Viviano. Mark Viviano: Michael, Mario Lemieux is in the rarest of positions, he owns a hockey team that he will now be playing for. How much of this is a business decision to help boost his franchise as opposed to just the competitive decision to get back out there? Michael Farber: I think it's a great business decision Mario Lemieux made even though he danced around it at his [Monday] press conference. He was sitting in the owner's suite watching 3,000 empty seats a night. Certainly he can fill those. But on a greater level, the Igloo in Pittsburgh is the oldest building in the National Hockey League. The Penguins want a new one, Mario Lemieux enhances the Penguins chances of getting that. He's protecting his own investment as principal owner of the Penguins by coming back. Viviano: Michael, what is a reasonable expectation as to how good Mario can be having not played for 3 1/2 years? He spoke of his passion for the game. How far will that carry him? Farber: His passion for the game consists of starting workouts on November 1st and deciding six weeks later, well I'm pretty close to being back. Mario Lemieux is at least the overtly passionate great athlete I've ever been around. But certainly he will come back and help that team. I've talked to people in the National Hockey League and they think with expansion, there are now 30 teams in the NHL, he could get 200 points in a full season if he played that long. Viviano: He's already in the history books as one of the greatest ever. Does he risk potential damage to his legacy if he comes back and stumbles and is not up to par? Farber: Well I think if he takes a Gordie Howe tour coming back all the time and playing into his 50's perhaps. But Mario is not going to do that. Guy LaFleur came back and really didn't hurt himself even though he didn't really play very well with Quebec or the New York Rangers. We still think of Guy LaFleur as one of the "Flying Frenchmen" with the Montreal Canadiens in the '70s, not the ineffective player at the end of his career in New York and Quebec.
Viviano: And Mario won't just be signing the checks for Jaromir Jagr now. They're back together. The impact that Jagr, already the greatest in the world, what will this have on him? Farber: I think this will help Jaromir Jagr a lot. He is the best player in the world. He will be happy to defer that title to Mario Lemieux. He has always deferred to Lemieux. I think you put Lemieux on your line and immediately you are better. But I think it makes Jagr a more confident leader in that Penguins' locker room and it make Pittsburgh a much more dangerous team. Viviano: Michael, Lemieux was outspoken toward the end of his career especially about the way the games were called in the NHL. He called it a "garage" league. He was upset with the clutching and grabbing. Has that changed enough where it is better for him now? Farber: It has changed but I don't think it has changed as much as Mario would like to pretend that it has. There's still a lot that goes on. It's not shinny out there, it's not pond hockey, it's the National Hockey League and [director of officials] Andy Van Hellemond and [commissioner] Gary Bettman have done good jobs at cutting down on some. But it's still a rough game. But Mario Lemieux can handle it, he handled it once before. I think it's a little bit easier for him and I expect great things. Viviano: Before he steps out on the ice and that's when we'll really know whether this was a good idea, at this moment, good idea or bad idea from your perspective? Farber: Terrific idea, win-win for everybody. It fills buildings in the National Hockey League, creates buzz and enhances the value of his own investment in the Pittsburgh Penguins. Viviano: Michael Farber in Montreal, thanks for joining us. Farber: Thank you. Sports Illustrated senior writer Michael Farber covers the NHL beat for the magazine and is a regular contributor to CNNSI.com.
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